The biomass distribution of soil macro-invertebrates across various biomes worldwide is an indispensable factor to be taken into account in predicting plant litter decomposition rates in a global perspective. In boreal to cool temperate regions, soil macro-invertebrate biomass is lower in coniferous forests than in deciduous broad-leaved forests, with the difference being attributed to tree species effects via litter quality. On the basis of a simplistic analogy with the litter quality-controlled differences in soil macro-invertebrate biomass between coniferous forests and deciduous broad-leaved forests, soil macro-invertebrate biomass is expected to be lower in evergreen broad-leaved forests that produce leaves with a longer lifespan of lower quality than in deciduous broad-leaved forests. In order to test this expectation, soil macro-invertebrate biomass, forest floor mass, an indicator of litter quantity, and litter pH, a possible index of litter quality were assessed in evergreen broad-leaved forests and deciduous broad-leaved forests under similar abiotic conditions in Southwestern Japan. The total biomass of the entire animal community was depended greatly on earthworms and was significantly higher in evergreen broad-leaved forests than in deciduous broad-leaved forests. The forest types were completely separated by a discriminant function combining the biomasses of twelve major taxa with a high stand-based frequency. Earthworms, spiders, and woodlice were the top three of contribution to the discrimination, the biomasses of all of which were significantly higher in evergreen broad-leaved forests than in deciduous broad-leaved forests. Multiple regression analysis and PCA revealed that the biomass differences in the three taxa between the forest types were predominantly influenced by forest floor mass without any indication of important effects of litter pH. Importance of “litter quantity control” over soil macro-invertebrate biomass in warm temperate forests of Southwestern Japan was concluded.

在全球范围内，预测植物凋落物分解速率时必须考虑的重要因素是全球各个生物群落中土壤无脊椎动物的生物量分布。在北方至凉爽的温带地区，针叶林的土壤无脊椎动物生物量低于落叶阔叶林，差异归因于凋落物质量对树木种类的影响。根据针叶林和落叶阔叶林之间凋落物质量控制的土壤无脊椎动物生物量差异的简单化类推，在常绿阔叶林中，如果落叶与阔叶林的土壤宏观无脊椎动物生物量较低，则该土壤生物量预计较低。与落叶阔叶林相比，寿命更长，质量较低。为了检验这种期望，在日本西南部类似的非生物条件下，在常绿阔叶林和落叶阔叶林中，评估了土壤大型无脊椎动物生物量，林地质量，凋落物数量的指标和凋落物pH值，评估了凋落物质量的可能指标。整个动物群落的总生物量很大程度上取决于depend，常绿阔叶林中的生物量明显高于落叶阔叶林。通过判别函数将十二种主要分类单元的生物量与基于林分的频率很高相结合，从而完全区分了森林类型。the，蜘蛛和木虱是造成歧视的前三名，常绿阔叶林中的所有生物量均显着高于落叶阔叶林。多元回归分析和PCA表明，三种森林类型之间的生物量差异主要受林地质量影响，而没有任何迹象表明凋落物pH的重要影响。得出了“凋落物数量控制”对日本西南部温带森林中土壤大型无脊椎动物生物量的重要性。